✅Optimized Muslim Newsletter 08/08/2022
Aug 08, 2022 6:45 am
Update for 08th August 2022
as Salaamu Alaykum
Alhamdulillah the Youtube Channel has now hit 2000 subscribers. I had heard other content creators say it before but the growth curve with something like YouTube is strange. Logically, it makes sense as the greater the numbers, the more the content hits the metrics that the algorithm looks for which then leads to the algorithm favouring the content and so on. The YT channel began in 2017 and I never really focused on the numbers but it took 5 years to get to 1000 and then only a couple of months for the next thousand. What filters most people out, however, is the level of patience required to get through the initial phase. This is why it is important to focus on intention and not numbers as that way you will focus on your overall goal and not give up along the way. There is nothing wrong in giving up, however, if you learn along the way that the medium is not suited to your goal. YouTube is just a website.
An Self Development Idea I was thinking about this week:
If you are an avid reader and consumer of information then this is a really important point that you should internalise if you are to be productive. That is, the idea of Just-In-Time information vs Just-In-Case information. Many of us, wrongly assume that we must learn as much as possible about a particular topic or task before getting started. This is usually just a means of "productive procrastination" in that it makes us think we are making progress by just learning more. e.g. Learning how to learn Arabic by researching which books/courses and memorisation tools are the best instead of actually learning the words and grammar rules. Obviously, some research is required so that you don't put your ladder on the wrong wall and start climbing it for years, but in general we grossly over value this phase.
Now I try to focus on Just In Time information. I know the information exists out there. So when I encounter that specific issue, I will then focus on obtaining that nugget of information to solve that particular problem. There is no need to build out notes upon notes of information copied from different sites "just in case" I need it.
Seerah/Hadith
The Prophet, peace be upon him said: “Whoever sees some wrong being committed should change it by action. If he cannot, then by word of mouth. If he still cannot, then by denouncing it in his heart. This last one is the weakest type of belief.” (Related by Muslim.)
An Islamic Reminder
"The path to God is only illuminated when a person recognises the central place of God in his life and strives to develop his self accordingly. The Messenger of God said: If someone wants to know what position he enjoys in the eyes of God, he has only to look at what place he gives to God [in his heart and life]. (Hakim.) The term nearest in meaning to self development in the Quranic vocabulary is tazkiya. Tazkiya means purification and refers to the cleansing of the human self from all that is unwholesome, undesirable and unwelcome. It also refers to the nurturing and strengthening of all the qualities within the human self that are essential for growth and development, for blossoming and flowering." In the Early Hours by Khurram Murad
Content I found beneficial this week:
This YouTube Channel has a playlist called "learn Arabic by Movie Clips" and features clips from Arabic Series with helpful annotations and commentary by a teacher. Check it out
Book Recommendation
The Daily Laws by Robert Greene. Needless to say (as with most books written by a Non-Muslim) filter out the stuff that doesn't align with our beliefs. I find that Robert Greene's books provide clear examples of some of the Machiavellian ways in which humans operate. You will often come across people on social media trying to practice some of the techniques like "create a spectacle" which some Muslims like Mahdi Tidjani use to not-so-great effect. (He himself references Robert Greene's work so the link here is not made by assumption). Having knowledge of these allows you to recognise it from a far.
Some quotes from my readings:
Stress on the neurotransmitters causes a depletion of the brain chemicals norepinephrine and serotonin and an increase of the hormone cortisol.
50 Psychology Classics by Tom Butler-Bowdon
The longer the time frame for results, the less you need intensity and the more you need consistency. Shane Parrish
Parkinson’s Law states that ‘work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion’. Life Leverage Rob Moore
If you make someone feel good about themselves, they will credit you with helping them attain that good feeling. People gravitate toward individuals who make them happy and tend to avoid people who bring them pain or discomfort. The Like Switch by Jack Schafer and Marvin Karlins
Something unrelated but I found interesting:
In two pathbreaking studies published in Nature yesterday, a team of researchers claimed to have found the answer. The most important factor in upward income mobility was having friends across class lines.
Children who live in neighborhoods with more cross-class interaction—what the researchers dubbed “economic connectedness”—have a much greater chance of climbing out of poverty than children who live in places where low-income and high-income people mingle less often.
One question to ask ourselves
I want to hear from like-minded people, please feel free to reply.
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Some of the Content from this week:
🎥 Why do you want to Improve? What's the Point without Islam?
How Improving Oneself Often leads people to the big questions about life and purpose.
🎥 Why People Interested in Self Development Often Find Islam like Aanghel from The3Muslims
People who are into self development are generally those who adopt a growth mindset, are willing to learn and are dedicated to improving themselves.
They are often receptive to new ideas and are therefore open to Islam.
Those in Dawah should keep this in mind.
🎥 Why does Bitcoin have value?
What gives Bitcoin its value?
Sh Mu'aawiyah Tucker explains.
Enjoy, Aadil (Optimizedmuslim.com)
